Rs.20mn medicines to be provided for Pak Hujjaj

ISLAMABAD: The Ministry of Religious Affairs will provide medicines worth Rs. 20 million to facilitate Pakistani Hujjaj during the upcoming grand religious congregation.

"One doctor, two paramedical personnel and two Khuddam-ul-Hujjaj will be presented every building to serve the pilgrims" an official of Ministry of Religious Affairs told APP here on Wednesday.

A hospital in Pakistan House having sufficient numbers of paramedical staff and specialist doctors will be set up to facilitate the pilgrims. Last year, he said the medical mission had provided health care to Pakistanis Hujjaj as well as other nationals.

He said an ideal mechanism will be followed by the Saudi government and Pakistani officials to monitor the quality of medicines provided to pilgrims.

He said a Director Mission and a permanent Medical Officer will remain present to supervise all the health-care facilities, adding "one of their responsibilities would be to check the quality of medicines and dispose off, if some of these get expired at the store."

As many as 180,000 intending pilgrims would perform the forthcoming Hajj under the government and private schemes.

Around 270 seasonal staff comprising medical teams and Khuddam will be deployed in Saudi Arabia for the assistance of Pakistani pilgrims.

About imparting educational training to intending pilgrims, he said extensive Hajj training programmes are being conducted throughout the country to educate them and make them familiar with Hajj rituals.

He said provincial governments are also holding training sessions in their respective areas, especially those who will perform this religious obligation for the first time.

"The Hujjaj will also be administered seasonal and swine flu vaccines at the training centres to protect them from viral diseases," he said.

Copyright APP (Associated Press of Pakistan), 2011